January 30, 2025

The Best Photos of 2024

by Liz Heather in Personal

November 5, 2024

October Occurrences 2024

by Liz Heather in Food, Halloween, Movies, Personal, Recipes

I love Octobers but I’m grateful to be moving on to the holiday season. Halloween was so good this year. I used a fog machine (it’ll now have to be a staple each year) and a bluetooth speaker that played horror movie soundtracks and it was. the. best. Here’s what else went on last month.

You might think you’re better than fake tattoos, I assure you that you’re not

I made a list of my favourite Halloween tweets.
Put up some new Halloween decorations.

The best tweets of the month can be found here.
I made this apple crisp coffee cake, which was fantastic. I’d prefer more crumble than cake, though.

I tried the new spicy all dressed chips and it’s a big meh. All dressed is already so perfect, they really should just leave them alone.
I got a ton of old VHS and camcorder tapes converted to digital at Digital Treasures and they did such a good job.
I’ve been constantly wearing the Anne Marie Beretta coat I got last month at the vintage clothing show.

I hadn’t had a DQ cake in years, so I bought one and it remains as good as ever.
I don’t love donuts (too doughy), but a holiday themed donut? Obviously I'll get those.

Thanksgiving donuts from Sanremo’s in Etobicoke, Ontario

Thanksgiving was really great, if not a little quieter this year. The next-day sandwich was one for the books. (If I started a business that solely made these sandwiches and just tried out new versions each month, could that work? Call it Turkey Time? Patent pending.)

Went to Downey’s for their pumpkin donuts (for a donut hater, I buy an alarming amount) and got this apple pie flavoured milk. It was a bit gross, but you have to try new seasonal items. It’s law.

Took my parents on an autumn drive through Belfountain and our car broke down in the middle of nowhere! It was exciting.

I went to Ottawa for the first time! The drive was intensely beautiful. My dumbass didn’t realize how close Quebec was, otherwise I would’ve made sure to get a poutine across the water. Next time.

Stopped at The Big Apple on the way back and just wow. I’d never been there before, so I loved it.

I bought a few new pairs of bootcut jeans (I know, pretty cool) and had them all tailored. They fit perfectly. I will tailor my pants for the rest of my life now.
October sunrises >>

Some things I watched:
- Nobody Wants This: other than some really bad dialogue, I’d definitely watch season two.
- English Teacher: best new show on TV, hands down.
- Only Murders in the Building: good season, not great. Martin Short will be the main reason I keep watching.
- The Blair Witch Project: I got my niece Maya to watch it and she loved it. A perfect horror movie.
- The Return of the Living Dead: okay, it’s obviously bad but fun bad.
- The Bob’s Burgers Halloween episode this year was awful?? What the hell?
- I’ve been on a real Twilight Zone binge and this quote, “As long as there are men, there cannot be peace.” PREACH.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: good god, I don’t even know. The election is today so… let’s just wait and see what happens before I look forward to anything.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in September over here.

October 3, 2024

September Shenanigans 2024

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Quotes, Recipes, Television

Welcome to the absolute best time of year.

The best tweets of the month can be found over here.
I wrote about going to Cooperstown, New York.
I compiled my favourite summer photos.
I recapped how my summer list went.
I made an autumn list of things I’d like to do.
The AirTrain at JFK was half price for the entire summer! Am I the only one who finds that crazy? In a city where everything costs more with each passing day. Blown away by that. It’s back to the ridiculous/normal pricing now, but still.
I went to my first dog swim event (!) and it was absolutely heaven on earth. At the end of summer, public pools open up their pools on the last swim day of the season to let dogs go swimming and it’s as great as it sounds. (Baby Dog is too delicate to partake, but we watched from a safe distance.)
Forever a lover of autumn mums. And $9 for 9” ones at Home Depot? Get the hell out of here with that pricing. Amazing.

I’ve been using GrandeLASH for almost a month now and I’m not really noticing that much of a difference, so if this doesn’t work I’ll give Revitalash a try and if that doesn’t work? I think I can officially say goodbye to lash serums at last. It’s too exhausting. I can’t care about tiny little pieces of hair for the rest of my life.
I will never shut up about how incredible this foot peel is from Target. I only need to use it twice a year and it gives you BABY SOFT feet.
Went to Dyments Farm in Dundas to try their burger and whoa. Definitely worth the drive.

In love with everything at Aerie right now, they’re reminding me of early Aritzia pieces (at the old Aritzia prices) and I should really shut up about it before it becomes like current Aritzia and therefore is way too expensive.
Came across a new way to do beach waves with a straightener and it totally works.

Are you aware that Staples recycles all old electronics? I brought in some old printers and it’s way easier than taking it to a dump.
Is The Ordinary a con? I have never had a positive experience with any of their products. Even the name makes me think they’re just messing with us?
Tried and absolutely loved the gluten-free Costco frozen pizza. Makes no sense.
The smash burgers at Oklahoma Burgers in Mississauga are decadent as hell.

Went to the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show for the first time in years and got an insanely nice coat. I only want fun coats for the rest of my life. Also got a mini glass bottle of perfume from the 40s to stay in my purse that was $5.

Perfumes at the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show

In love with this Simons belt.
I made these turkey meatballs from the LCBO magazine Food & Drink and they were pretty disappointing. Must remember to not trust all their recipes.
The dark chocolate pistachios from Trader Joe’s are unholy. Could eat bags and bags of them.
Ridiculously in love with the Whole Foods pumpkin bites. A perfect autumn bite.

Some things I watched:
- The Perfect Couple: Okay, I could argue for an hour about how bad this was. Yes, a whodunit is fun. But that’s where the fun ended. It was so badly written and terribly shot. God, anything can be made these days.
- The Trini episode of Atlanta: what a great episode. Makes me want to watch the rest of the show.
- Only Murders in the Building: Really liking this season. The Perfect Strangers moments? Wonderful. I kind of need Richard Kind and Martin Short in a scene together soon though (Clifford reunion!).
- English Teacher: best new show I’ve seen in SUCH a long time. I love the kid Jeff. The music choices are so good. So many good lines, I can’t even quote them all.
- Mamma Mia: I’d never seen it, so we put it on and yikes. I truly hate singing in (most) movies. Fast-forwarded all the songs. Other than that, not a terrible movie.
- Emily in Paris: this tweet really sums up the show.
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: Only my ten year old nephew could get me to watch something like this. It wasn’t terrible! Weird to hear Pete Davidson in it, but definitely not the worst thing I’ve ever seen.
- Hustlers: Not good. But Mister Bruce was the best part.
- Rewatched: The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Dangerous Minds, Barbarian, Old. All still great.
- I’m watching tons of Twilight Zones episodes each night and this quote (below) from the episode Passage on the Lady Anne just swallowed me up.

— The Twilight Zone

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: finishing up my Halloween costume, cooking everything for Thanksgiving, making the leftover sandwich and I really want to see the movie Hush.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in August over here.

September 17, 2024

Cooperstown, New York

by Liz Heather in Personal, Travel

Inside The Lake House near Cooperstown, NY

We did a mini roadtrip to Cooperstown last month and I can safely say that I think we’re all not doing enough little trips. Truly what’s stopping us? They’re always the best. It’s never insanely expensive, but you get to take a break from regular life and go somewhere not far to experience something different and usually great. Some highlights from the trip below!

So the whole trip was basically organized around going to The Baseball Hall of Fame. That’s a normal thing to do, right? Honestly, you could spend hours there. It was incredible. I think I loved the mini exhibit that showcased the most famous fans from over the years, but there’s just so much to see. Would love to own one of those warm-up jackets. LOOK at that stitching (below).

We stayed at this small inn (The Lake House) that was built in 1843, which was perfect. Our room itself was tiny, but the place was beautiful. The restaurant there was so good and it felt ancient, but in a good way. And it was right on the water of Canadarago Lake.

If there’s mini golf in your small town, I will find it. We played a round at the western-themed Barnyard Swing Mini Golf and there were maybe two elements on the whole course that made it western-themed, which is both funny and exactly as it should be.

Visited the Cooperstown Cheese Factory, which I can’t recommend enough. They offered samples of ALL of the cheeses they sold, with no limit. Why the hell don’t all cheese shops have this policy? They also had this unbelievable cheese-dusted popcorn (that needed to be refrigerated because it was so fresh) that I will forever yearn for.

I love old covered bridges, so we drove to see the Hyde Hall covered bridge that was built in 1825 (and is the oldest extant wooden covered bridge in the United States). Some people do drugs, some people get a contact high from seeing dusty old bridges, I don’t make the rules.

Visited Willis Monie Books because I will always gravitate towards chaotic book stores.

Got lunch at Cooperstown Diner, which was small and delightful.

Stopped inside the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad Station. They had a mechanical miniature train set that made me feel alive inside? Haha?

Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad

We drove past the now abandoned Petrified Creatures Museum (located at 4638 US-20, Richfield Springs, NY 13439), which I would DIE to explore if it weren’t highly illegal.

Such a great little trip. I also made a highlight reel from the trip that you can see over here.

September 1, 2024

August Actions 2024

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Drinks, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Recipes

SUMMER IS OVER! Extremely pumped to say goodbye to August. So many things are changing right now and I kind of can’t wait for what’s ahead. But before that, here were the highlights of the month.

Finished my Summer Saturdays series.
The best tweets of the month can be found over here.
Why don’t all cheese boards have corresponding cheeses labels?? SOMEBODY PUT ME IN CHARGE OF SOMETHING.

In love with these blue sky bran muffins. Who have I become? I like her?
The Freshly Brewed Coffee candle at Bath & Body Works smells like heaven on earth.

I found Walla Walla onions at my farmer’s market and they remain the greatest onion on the scene today.
My friend Richard made the best tomato pie I’ve ever tasted.

I got the new Alex Trebek Jeopardy stamps and they’re a bit disappointing. I was hoping for more than just one design.
Marla came for a visit and we did so many fun things. We saw Suffs on Broadway, ate at Thyme & Tonic (incredible), tried on a million gorgeous things at both locations of Beacon’s Closet, we rode the Staten Island Ferry, ate at the always-great Rubirosa, went to Little Island for the first time, went to some of the Chelsea Thursday galleries and we perused Chelsea Market so we obviously had to get some Seed + Mill.

A rat scared us out of Central Park approx. five seconds after this photo was taken

Manhattan skyline from the (free) Staten Island Ferry

Seed + Mill now has a chocolate drizzle option

I read Jennette McCurdy’s book and it was too real and too good.
My favourite pesto recipe is the How Sweet Eats one, but with walnuts instead of pine nuts.
Summer is the time to make peach daiquiris and this peach rose slushy.

Fell in love with the restaurant Hillstone. On a mission now to visit all the locations eventually. The best parts about this place are the chilled salad plates, the chilled martini glasses that are replaced midway through your drink, an insane French dip sandwich (David Chang says that this sandwich “haunts him” and he’s right), a wildly good chicken caesar salad, servers only have three tables at a time so they can really focus on each customer, they don’t have food runners or bussers, the tables are drilled into the ground so there aren’t any wobbly ones, there’s freshly squeezed orange juice AND each table is designed to feel like it’s in its very own little VIP section. So impressed by the level of thoughtfulness at this place, I love it so much.

And speaking of hospitality, I read something recently that explains why I think I love restaurants so much. I’m the one who cooks at home (which I enjoy), but it’s nice to escape that sometimes and have someone take care of me in that way. It’s such a simple thought, but it blew my mind for a minute.
I finally deep cleaned my beauty blender by putting Dawn in some boiled water and then I let the sponge sit in that mixture for five minutes before rinsing in water. Reddit has all the answers.
I found a Sabon body scrub on sale at Marshall’s, which reminded me how much I love any Sabon products.
I’ve been living in the Essie colour Seas The Day.

Annoyance of the day: I absolutely hate that all brow pencils now come in that little mechanical tube (that always breaks). Remember when the Anastasia brow pencil was actually a real pencil that you could sharpen?? We’ve strayed too far from the light of god. It’s impossible to find a real, high quality pencil anymore.
Nathan and I spent our anniversary in Cooperstown, New York to go to the incredible Baseball Hall of Fame, so I’ll do a post about that later this week.
Denny’s has a Beetlejuice-themed menu right now that is a full party, even if it does sound somewhat gross.
Loved reading Pete Wells’ final NY Times piece.
Some things I watched:
- Patriot Games - wow. Love 90s movies like this.
- Six Days, Seven Nights - even Harrison Ford can’t save this movie.
- Trap - I liked the first two thirds of it, but everything went downhill as soon as they left the stadium. This review sums up my feelings almost precisely.
- Falling Down - great movie.
- Wall Street - weird that I’d never seen it before, Martin Sheen was a smokeshow.
- Consenting Adults - great idea for a movie.
- Longlegs - love an original horror script.

I would normally list the things I’m looking forward to this month, but things are changing so fast right now that I have no idea what the end of the month will look like. I’m hopeful and excited, but I’m also terrified and I sort of just want to let this month happen.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in July over here.

August 4, 2024

July Jiffs 2024

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Recipes, Television, Travel

I might have to stop complaining about how I’m not a summer person because this past month was such a memorable one. Here’s what went down last month!

Nathan made Variety’s 10 Comics To Watch list this year!
I continued my Summer Saturdays series because apparently I’m obsessed with summer?
The best tweets of the month can be found over here. I also made a list of my favourite summer tweets.
I wrote about my favourite caesar salad dressing recipe in honour of its 100th birthday.
I tried the soft serve from Seed + Mill and it was unbelievably good. Top three in NYC, hands down.

Soft serve from Seed + Mill, Chelsea Market

I finally got to go lane swimming in Mississauga and it was all that I’d hoped it would be and so much more. Fuck Eric Adams for cancelling the lap swims in NYC for yet another summer.
The watermelon sangria at Bite is summer in a glass.
I finally visited the food hall at Queensboro Plaza and the options looked pretty good! The chicken caesar wrap at Bobwhite Counter was decent, but it’ll always amaze me when places don’t make their own croutons. It’s one tiny little step that makes or breaks it.

The coronation chicken salad at Nomad Sandwiches is too good. Cold, curried chicken is not on enough menus in this city.
I just saw an ad for this, but Arby’s has a burger now?? Am I the only one this offends?? Their whole thing is that they DON’T do burgers?? That roast beef and cheddar is better than any fast food burger, what the hell is going on? I can handle a lot of things (really I can), but this crosses a line.
A reel told me to squeeze lemon on top of watermelon, so I did and it was fantastic.
I went to Canada for a little bit since the kids are off for summer break and I think I’m onto something here: yardwork is fun when it’s not your own house.

I used a screwdriver to do this and I’m kinda proud of that fact?

One of my most beloved hobbies? Before/after photoshoots, apparently.

Went to Blue Mountain on a small trip with my family and it was perfect. We swam so much (once in the rain, and I hope everyone swims in the rain at least once in their life) and we also rode the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster (something that’s been on my list for years), which was so much fun. I also won’t disclose how many times I went to the frozen yogurt place Menchies.

Before the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster

On the drive back from Blue Mountain, we found a farmer’s market-type store in hopes of finding some sponge toffee and dreams can come true.

Ate at Lucia in Toronto and it wasn’t anything special, which was a bit disappointing but the company was everything I wanted so that made up for it.

Made these ricotta meatballs that turned out great, if not a bit too soft.
We went to Ribfest and I tried my first blooming onion. It was absolutely unreal. How did it take me this long to try one. Also got an oxtail poutine and (finally) the tri-colour popsicle I’ve been waiting on since last summer.

There are cathedrals everywhere for those with eyes to see

I wanted this so badly, I didn’t even care how bad my nails looked

The passport office in Mississauga is such a nightmare, it literally took four hours to get renewed (and that’s only because I showed up two hours before it even opened).
Tried this soft foot reel I saw (below) and it worked pretty well! I think you have to do it multiple times a week to really see longterm results, though.

Went to Spirit Tree Estate Cidery again with my niece Tianna and it remains great. Their daily soup is the main attraction here (we got the seafood chowder).

We also went to Activate again and I think I enjoyed it even more than last time. Obsessed with the hoops room. Makes me wish I had a basketball net.

Went to the Asian Night Market in Mississauga with Harmeet and we got the cold noodles, which were spicy/great. Afterward we went to the Mexican restaurant in the food hall section of Square One (La Carnita) and had such a terrible experience. The short ribs we ordered were awful and our waiter absolutely hated us. And then we went next door to Farzi Cafe, where the drinks were fine but insanely overpriced. What the hell is going on at Square One?
I finally got Baby Dog in a kiddie pool and she could actually doggy paddle. It was the cutest thing anyone has ever seen.
I just learned about the ready-made sandwiches at Lazar Bakery in Mississauga and my lunches will never be the same again.
The foam soaps are the main reason I go to Bath & Body Works, but their bar soaps last such a long time. If you live in the United States then you should definitely get their app - they give you at least one free item every few weeks.
Baskin-Robbins rainbow sherbert continues to solve all.

I know it’s early, but the pumpkin pie M&Ms are outrageously good.

Some things I watched:
- The Bear (season three): Cons first. Okay, I hated the first episode but it’s the weakest one of the whole season. Some of the dialogue is so badly written, it’s hard to watch sometimes. Why the hell was John Cena in it? He isn’t a good actor, let’s cut the shit. Now pros. Ebon is flawless. The Napkins episode was so well written. Jon Bernthal is such a great actor. The Al-Anon support group scene was so good. My jaw dropped at Josh Hartnett making an appearance, I’ll continue to love his renaissance. And I know I’ve complained about the overacting of Jamie Lee Curtis from last season, but I thought the birth episode was the best one of the entire season. That whole episode just captured mothers and daughters so well and how we see that our mothers fail us so much because our expectations of them are too insanely high so when they fall flat of those expectations, how crushing it can be to realize that they’re just human. That episode alone is why I’ll keep watching the show. I do think that a lot can be done towards the development of characters so that we have the time to care about them in the ways that the writers want us to, but there are these pocket episodes that are just so alarmingly true and good. It’s a fantastic show with absolute faults, but the reviews of this season were way too harsh.
- All of the Naked Gun movies (rewatch): Okay these movies really hold up well. It was too much fun to watch them with the kids who actually really laughed and enjoyed them too. Romeo even referenced one scene weeks later to laugh about it, my heart swelled to say the least.
- Blowout: It started out interesting and then took a sharp turn, hard pass.
- Sabrina (rewatch): I was on a Harrison Ford kick and would’ve settled for anything, so this was nice to see again.
- Twisters (theatres): I really wanted to hate it, but it was a party.
- Creep (rewatch): Still great!
- Mulan (live action): Rome insisted on us watching this and it wasn’t bad! I’m pretty anti-live-action, but this was surprisingly good.
- I Know What You Did Last Summer (rewatch): Love a summer horror movie. There needs to be more seasonal horror movies.
- The Craft (rewatch): I always forget how much I hate the bug stuff at the end, but it’s still a solid 90s movie.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: my dear friend Marla is coming to visit (!), cannot wait to see Trap next week, I’m keeping my eye out for any corn based seasonal dishes at the restaurants I love and I can’t wait to start preparations on this year’s costume…

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in June over here.

August 3, 2024

Summer Saturdays Vol. 7

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays

BAKING

Found this old recipe from an 80s desserts book and there’s no human way it isn’t the greatest tasting thing of all time.

COOKING

Looking up every way possible to make the most of these perfect summer heirlooms.

CRAVING

The new M. Night movie Trap came out yesterday so we’re going on Tuesday (the cheap day) and I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a movie.

DRINKING

Making this frozen peach rose slushy tonight.

EATING

The pink lemonade flavoured Oikos yogurt is surprisingly good. Whoever is in charge of their seasonal flavours needs a raise.

EXPERIENCING

There’s something about my parent’s backyard that just makes me feel like I know who I am, I’ll never not love every single season back there.

LISTENING

Don’t get me wrong I love her, but I have a theory that Taylor Swift solely makes certain songs that she thinks people will use over TikToks (ie. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys… c’mon! There’s no way that’s meant as a real song and not dog-owner-bait).

LOVING

Another week of too many things to love:

The phone game Heads Up, perfect for passing time with someone.
I finally got Baby Dog in a kiddie pool and the girl can swim! Might have been the cutest thing I’ve seen on this green earth.
Michaels always puts their Lemax Halloween display up this time of year (someone explain why?) and it sells out within weeks so by the time September comes around that area is (ironically) a ghost town. That being said, I still love getting to see the displays in all their glory.

The extremely dog-friendly Pearson airport (in Toronto) pet relief area - honestly, it’s the best one I’ve ever seen. It’s eons better than the horrid urine-closet they call a pet relief room at LaGuardia.

Pet relief area in Toronto Pearson airport

SHOPPING

The DVD section at suburban thrift stores remains magical. Insanely good finds.

WATCHING

My 13 year niece Maya stayed with me for awhile so I made her watch Creep, I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Craft. It’s called parenting.

WEARING

Last week’s Summer Saturdays Vol. 6 can be found over here and I’m keeping a summer highlights section over here.

July 3, 2024

June Jaunts 2024

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Quotes, Recipes

— F. Scott Fitzgerald

Truly a great June. I haven’t eaten as many strawberries as I’d have hoped, so I need to make that happen. Other than that, I might actually be excited about summer? Here’s what went down last month:

The best tweets of the month can be seen over here.
I started up my Summer Saturdays series again!
I finally made my way to Smorgasburg in the city.
I recapped how my spring list went.
Made this year’s new summer list of things I want to do.
I went to visit my parents to celebrate my dad’s 101st birthday (!), which was so great. Always love a spring visit.

Ate an incredible conch salad from this Bahamian place Old Nassau in Toronto. My parents loved the conch fritters, too.
Went to Corleone’s in Mississauga for a quick lunch and got the junior meatball. Nothing spectacular but decent.
My oldest niece Tianna graduated from teacher’s college!! Beyond proud of this beauty.

And speaking of Tianna, look at this gorgeous card she drew (below). How on earth did I not know she had this talent?? Really blows my mind (in a good way) when there are still new things to learn about the people who make up the fabric of your life.

Got dinner at Golden Diner and my god, those pancakes aren’t messing around. And that’s coming from a person who absolutely never orders/eats/likes/tolerates pancakes. They also had incredibly crispy home fries, and even the caesar salad was good if not a little too overdressed. Definitely skip the chicken katsu, though.

I’ll never stop loving dingy carnivals, you know the ones I mean. Where everything it set up overnight. I’m not sure if I had ever rode the Superman ride but it fully rocked my core. (Here’s a great (updated often) list of carnivals in the NYC area.)

I watched the new Jiminy Glick clips and when he asked Nick Kroll where he was when “Queen Latifah’s show got cancelled” I fully lost it. So damn funny.
Found a lovely little bar inside Hotel Rivington with a $10 cocktail happy hour. Absolutely will return.
I promise to stop mentioning it soon (not yet), but I can’t describe how much I love the Scrubbing Bubbles Bleach Cleaner for bathrooms. It makes my life so much easier. (Don’t feel sadness for me for that last sentence, it truly brings me joy!)
I made this lemon cake and it sucked! Do you know how depressing it is to make a lackluster baked good? So unbelievably disappointing.
My summer go-to dessert recipe? The Magnolia Bakery banana pudding. Gotta remember to double up on the Nilla wafers next time.

The best cubano sandwich ever is at La Cubana in Toronto. I’ll forever love that neighborhood (Roncesvalles).
My dear friend Richard made me (a Reno specialty?) spaghetti salad and fruit pizza and both were too good. Nobody cooks for their friends anymore! Can we please bring this back?!

Me with Richard & Paul’s dog, Hatcher and their insane view

Finally learned how to cook perfect bacon in the oven.
Really liked this steak marinade.
I read and reviewed Priscilla Presley’s book.
Cannot express how glad I am that I took some of the kids to the Ontario Science Center recently. It’s horrifying to think that it might not be there anymore. So many memories in that place.

Visited Shukette again and it remains amazing. The only bad thing we ordered were the squash blossoms (they just weren’t crispy and the batter tasted old), but bury me in the toum (whipped garlic).

Went to Ray’s Candy Store in the East Village and got an Obama coffee with vanilla ice cream. Fully recommend.

Got the tres leche ice cream at Bad Habit (which closes for good later this month) and it’s so smart that they sell freezer transport bags (why don’t all ice cream places do this?).

Two things I can’t stop making:
- Hummus Dip: To store-bought hummus, I add chopped red onion, cucumbers, feta and tomatoes. It’s unreal. It’d also be good as a spread on a sandwich.
- Tuna Salad: To canned tuna, I mix in red onion, dijon, a small amount of mayo, grated garlic, sliced pickles, salt and pepper. Then I put it on top of a bun that’s been toasted with garlic butter and then broiled with cheddar on top. Phenomenal.
Some things I watched:
- What Jennifer Did: Jesus! How did I not hear about this awful story?
- I Saw The TV Glow: wow, did I hate it. Especially since the reviews made it seem incredible.
- Meg 2: The Trench: couldn’t get through more than half an hour, just an abomination.
- The Cannonball Run 1 & 2: I watched these movies over and over as a kid and I was feeling nostalgic this week so I put them on and OH MY GOD I finally figured out why I’m obsessed with finding the right zippered jumpsuit. (See the scene below.)

A gentle reminder: your beach body is already here.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I can’t wait to finally go lane swimming I feel like I’ve been talking about this for months I’m so sorry if you’ve heard me say it a million times, the cheeseburger dumplings have returned to Mimi Cheng’s so that’s definitely on the list, I can’t wait to see my family a ton next week when I visit again, I’ll probably watch at least a few of these summer classics and these summer vacations movies, Nathan has some crazy big news later this month that I’m so proud of and I’d really love to finally get Baby Dog in a kiddie pool to see how she likes the water.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in May over here.

June 13, 2024

May Musings 2024

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Recipes

It has officially been six years of doing these monthly roundup posts since I started them in May of 2018. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE. If there’s a lesson here, it’s that change is truly possible. I never would’ve thought I’d be doing these consistently for that long, so that’s wild to me. Thank you to anyone and everyone who has ever even read one. Here’s what went down in May!

The best tweets of the month are over here.
I reviewed the hip hop jewelry exhibit at the Natural History Museum.
I saw the new rooftop installation at The Met.
Vulture wrote about Nathan’s special twice this month and I couldn’t be prouder.

The New York Times also loved Nathan’s newest special Down With Tech!
I made this one pan pepper steak with added mushrooms that I will absolutely do again.
My favourite Met gala looks:

The hair, the makeup, the dress = all of it is perfection, she just needs to leave Justin to fully become perfect in this moment

The back of Mindy Kaling’s dress is HIGH ART

The author of my favourite book, Paul Auster, passed away so I think a re-reading of Mr. Vertigo is in order soon.
I visited the newly opened Paramount Theatre in Brooklyn to see Belle & Sebastian (they were great) and what a beautiful venue.

I tried cottage cheese for the first time and it wasn’t terrible! I still say that “cottage cheese” is the most disgusting thing it could have been named, though. I made this fake chocolate mousse with it and Nathan ate every last bite. I also made a fake “ice cream” with cottage cheese + frozen blueberries that was actually good. I won’t pretend to tell you it tasted like real ice cream, but it was surprisingly edible.

Cottage cheese + frozen blueberry ice cream that’s not actually ice cream, I can’t lie to you

We had a huge Baby Dog scare where she tore a ligament in her leg and our vet was an absolute nightmare with prescribing her these insanely strong pills that made our lives a living hell for a week. Thankfully she’s back to normal and better than ever. We also started her on these cataract eye drops that may actually help her sight, will report back on these in a few more weeks.

I tried the new chickpea pasta from Trader Joe’s and I like it better than Banza (it’s cheaper, too). Also tried their new, incredible honeycomb candy.

Love this essay by Glynnis MacNicol and I can’t wait to read her upcoming memoir entitled I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself.
Embarrassed to say how much I love the Shake Shack lettuce wrap.

The white chocolate macadamia cream at Starbucks is a problem. I’m really in the macadamia era of my life. No one tells you that your late-30s era is intensely boring?
There’s nothing sadder than disappointing soft serve. Marvel: do better.

Truly in love with the shortbread foam hand soap from Bath & Body Works. (Don’t forget their annual sale is going on right now.)

Loving the entire ButterBliss line at Target. How is it so damn soft??
Tried the new sandwich place Nomad, which is incredible. Took me 39 years to understand that I truly love coleslaw. Again, terrible name choice. Beginning to learn that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? What a concept?

Quick note: if you ever shop in store at Staples, you should really look up their online prices vs. the in-store price when you’re there. The in-store price is almost always wildly more expensive than the same item listed online and if you show the cashier when you’re checking out - they’ll price match it for the lower price.
So I was on a morning walk and I found a lost cat! It was wild and the owners were so sweet about it.
Saw Mary Jane with Rachel McAdams on Broadway with Nathan and it was great.

There is an exhibit of old literary posters right now at The Met that is absolutely beautiful.

The latkes at Modern Bread and Bagel remain the best in NYC.

Got the new summer scents from Mrs. Meyers and they. are. incredible.

Seasonally scented cleaning products? FUCK ME UP

Took Baby Dog to Central Park and she loved it, even if you can’t tell by this forcibly posed photograph.

I love a street fair because you’ll always find something unique. Creepy-faced magnets? Forever yes.

Completely forgot about my love for rainbow sherbert.

Some things I watched:
- The Idea of You (Amazon Prime): low maintenance and intensely watchable. The line, “People hate happy women” PERFECT. And Michael Showalter directed it?? What the hell? That’s great.
- How Stella Got Her Groove Back: it’s pretty gross that the main love interest is a 20 year old boy. And the real life story that it’s based on is AWFUL (spoiler alert: he was actually gay and married her for a green card!!).
- Under The Tuscan Sun: still great.
- Twister (the Helen Hunt one): such a great movie. There’s really no need for the remake. Best part? The sheer amount of twisters in the movie. That may seem like a dumb observation, but it really isn’t. It’s just so fast-paced and there’s basically another twister every ten minutes or so.
- Dream Scenerio: good! Some of the abuse scenes are hard to sit through, but as a whole a really good movie.
- The Danny Meyer episode of Ina Garten’s show: I was not aware that he basically invented eating at the bar instead of at a table in a restaurant (was also not aware that it needed to be invented??) and I must make the pasta (orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage) that he made for Ina in that episode.
- Emily in Paris (season two): can you tell how desperate I am in finding new shows to watch? It’s not a good show. I hate all the singing, I had to fast-forward those scenes. But I did love these pink shoes.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: finishing off some final spring activities, writing my summer list, I need to dry clean and officially pack away my winter coats, I’ll start doing my Summer Saturdays weekly series again, excited for the new season of The Bear at the end of the month and I’d love to find some new strawberry recipes to make the most of the season.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in April over here.

May 1, 2024

April Activities 2024

by Liz Heather in Advice, Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Quotes, Recipes, Reviews

The best tweets of April can be found over here and the best NYC earthquake tweets are over here.
Loved this part from a NYT newsletter about the eclipse written by Elizabeth Dias: “For a nation pulled apart by every manner of division, the eclipse also offered a moment of unity, however brief. It was a reminder to everyone, on the same day and at the same time, that life can be magical. That being alive is a collective experience. That there is something astonishing about being part of the greater story of things.”

In Nathan news, he was on The Tonight Show for the third time promoting his new special (Down With Tech), and Vulture wrote two pieces about him and the new special (!) - so he’s had a great month.

I made this asparagus soup and it’d be a better recipe if it were strained, but it was perfectly fine. I think this is another one of those foods that tastes better when it’s a special at a restaurant.
I tried and finished a bottle of “hair growth support” powder and it didn’t do much. Can someone please remind me never to cut my hair again?
Loving the acne spot treatment from Bubble.
Am I waiting for the August Nordstrom sale to buy a coat that I basically already own but in a different colour? Obviously.

My other coat in the background: “…GIRL”

Made this New York Times couscous and why can’t I seem to remember that their recipes are very blah? It’s as if it were AI generated. Oh no, are recipes going to be created by AI in the near future? Oh my god they are, aren’t they.
I made the switch to Redken shampoo and conditioner and Nathan and I both have seen a huge difference. My hairdresser passionately convinced me that I should stop buying cheap shampoo and it really was great advice.
I made this dark chocolate strawberry yogurt bark (below) that’s pretty fun if you’re desperate and don’t have ice cream.

I saw the new Diane Von Furstenberg line at Target and the kids section is beyond cute.
I know I won’t shut up about Wegman’s, but are we all aware of how good their individual cookies are? And their slices of chocolate cake? And their family-sized protein powder with 1 gram of sugar?? The deals are almost infuriating.
In NYC restaurant talk: the pasta at Ci Siamo was phenomenal (better than Lilia), the cocktails are better than ever at Manhatta, the kale caesar at Fumo is incredible, the fried chicken at COQODAQ is overrated but their chicken curry is outstanding (I also loved that they had house wines, BRING BACK HOUSE WINE + HOUSE WINE PRICES), the malt vinegar skinny fries at Motel Morris are perfection and the vodka parm at Compton’s in Astoria is only okay (again proof that TikTok famous sandwiches contain more hype than flavour).

Snack I can’t stop eating: hummus mixed with feta and chopped red onions (dipped with either sliced cucumbers or carrots or pita chips).
Saving my money now for the new Lemax phantom castle that comes out this Halloween.
I met Harrison Ford (!) near Columbus Circle and he was very kind and extremely handsome. And I’ve never seen such a confident stride in my whole life. Man’s a stud.

I’ve been making this spinach wrap (below) for weeks and can’t get over it. I’ve been topping it with shredded chicken and either buffalo sauce or tzatziki sauce.

Spinach & egg wrap with shredded buffalo chicken

In my quest to dress better, I bought these perfect gingham pants.
SNL had two especially good sketches this month: Jumanji and The Engagement.
I visited The Pastry Box in the East Village and it was ridiculously good.

Some things I watched:
- Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (HBO) - it was fine, I was hoping to like it more.
- Quiet on Set (HBO) - nuts. Parts of it are really hard to watch.
- Past Lives (Prime) - heartbreakingly good, just loved it.
- Late Night with the Devil (AMC+) - I liked the style of it, but the ending was sort of ruined for me inadvertently. Hard to say if it was actually good.
- Alien (in theatres) - Nathan and I saw the 45th anniversary screening of it (I’d never seen it before) and it was fantastic. Weird that I’d never seen it and weirder that I loved it?

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I’m seeing Belle & Sebastian at the new Paramount Theatre tonight, I’ll definitely go see the new fashion exhibit at The Met, I might try to see I Saw The TV Glow at the Angelika and I really want to get to Smorgasburg sometime this month before it gets too hot to enjoy.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in March over here.